This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
The shoulder joint includes the humerus, the clavicle, and the scapula, which cooperate to afford a range of motion of the humerus relative to the scapula and clavicle during arm movement. Specifically, a proximal end of the humerus is disposed adjacent to the glenoid fossa of the scapula and is permitted to move relative to the glenoid fossa to provide a range of motion to the humerus relative to the scapula.
Joint replacement surgery such as a partial or total shoulder arthroplasty may be required when the shoulder joint causes pain during use or is otherwise damaged. For example, the shoulder joint may be damaged due to osteoarthritis, whereby progressive wearing away of cartilage results in bare bone being exposed within the shoulder joint. Under such circumstances, it is often necessary to undergo a partial or total shoulder arthroplasty in order to relieve pain and increase the range of motion of the humerus by rebuilding portions of the shoulder joint.
In performing a total shoulder arthroplasty, a surgeon resects a portion of the proximal end of the humerus that is received by the glenoid fossa. Once the distal end of the humerus is resected, the surgeon may then ream the humerus to access the humeral canal. Providing access to the humeral canal allows the surgeon to insert a humeral component into the humeral canal. A prosthetic hemispherical humeral head may then be attached to a proximal end of the humeral component such that the resected portion of the humerus is replaced by the prosthetic hemispherical humeral head. If necessary, the surgeon will likewise replace a portion of the glenoid fossa to provide a bearing surface against which the humeral head may articulate. Upon completion of the shoulder arthroplasty, pain is typically alleviated and the patient is provided with an increased range of motion at the shoulder joint.
While conventional shoulder prosthetics used during shoulder arthroplasty adequately provide the patient with an increased range of motion, conventional shoulder prosthetics require insertion of a stem into the humeral canal of the humerus, thereby increasing the overall weight, size, and cost of the humeral component. Furthermore, because the surgeon is required to insert the stem of the humeral component into the humeral canal, the surgical procedure is somewhat complex, as the surgeon is first required to resect the proximal end of the humerus and subsequently ream the humeral canal prior to inserting the stem of the humeral component into the humeral canal. Increasing the complexity of the joint-replacement surgery increases the time in which the surgeon must spend in performing the procedure and therefore increases the overall cost of the procedure. Finally, requiring insertion of the stem into the humeral component results in additional bone removal, thereby increasing trauma and post-operative pain.